Earlier today, former President Donald Trump pled not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records related to alleged hush-money payments made prior to the 2016 presidential election. The former president was arraigned in New York City and later spoke to supporters at Mar-a-Lago, criticizing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and calling him a “Soros-backed prosecutor” who campaigned to get him.

In his speech, Trump also criticized the judge presiding over his case, as Bragg and his family have an obvious and documented political bias against Trump. Trump then referred to previous investigations during his administration, including the Russian investigation and his impeachments, all of which resulted in nothing, and Trump left the situations unscathed. Despite the recent charges against him, Trump defended himself by stating that he only committed the “crime” of fearlessly defending America from those who seek to destroy it – which is likely the exact reason he ended up in court, as he is the first president to ever be indicted for an alleged crime following holding the presidency.

Trump Pleads Not Guilty to 34 Felony Counts

Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, and a trial will be required, during which the state will have to prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” that Trump is guilty of the charges. It could take several months for a trial to start, as both sides must exchange information about witnesses and evidence they plan to present in the trial as part of the discovery phase, and pre-trial hearings must also be held. Trump will be acquitted of the charges if he’s found not guilty at the end of the trial. If he’s found guilty, he’ll likely appeal the verdict. If the verdict is upheld, he’ll be sentenced, though he’ll likely also be able to appeal his sentence.

Trump Speaks Out Against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg

During his speech at Mar-a-Lago, Trump criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, calling him a “Soros-backed prosecutor” who “campaigned on the fact that he would get President Trump.” Soros donated upwards of $1 million to Bragg’s campaign, as Soros frequently donates to left-wing and progressive DAs in America’s largest cities. Trump would go on to call on Bragg to resign after “leaking” details of the indictment to the media before it was unsealed.

Trump Defends Himself Against Previous Investigations

In his speech, Trump referred to the previous investigations during his administration, including the Russian investigation and his impeachments. Trump stated that the Democrats spied on his campaign and relentlessly pursued Republicans. Despite the charges against him, Trump defended himself by stating that he only committed the “crime” of fearlessly defending America from those who seek to destroy it.

Trump Criticizes Judge Presiding Over His Case

Trump also criticized the judge presiding over his case, Judge Juan Merchan, calling him a “Trump-hating judge,” and criticized Bragg’s family’s political ties, including his wife as a “Trump-hating wife and family whose daughter worked for Kamala Harris.”

Along with the political affiliation DA Bragg has, Loren Merchan, the daughter of Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the case against former President Donald Trump, worked on the Biden-Harris campaign in 2020. Merchan is the President and partner of Authentic Campaigns, a company that runs digital campaigns for Democratic candidates. The Biden-Harris campaign was also a client of Authentic Campaigns. Merchan’s LinkedIn account was disabled following a report by Gateway Pundit, which first reported on her work history. Trump called the judge and his family “well-known Trump haters” and accused the judge of being an “unfair disaster” during a previous Trump-related case.

Charges Against Trump

According to the indictment, Trump “repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election.” The charges stem from alleged hush-money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal prior to the 2016 election.

Despite facing charges related to falsifying business records, Trump maintained his innocence and spoke out against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the judge presiding over his case. Trump also referred to previous investigations during his administration, defending himself by stating that he only committed the “crime” of fearlessly defending America from those who seek to destroy it.